Railway-switch.



G. R. RANDALL.

RAILWAY SWITCH.

APPLIUATION 11.31) MAR. 29, 1009.

Patented June 22, 1909.

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G. R. RANDALL.

RAILWAY SWITGH.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 29, 1909.

Patented June 22, 1909.

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Na N damn UNITED STATES GEORGE R. RANDALL, OF EARL, NORTH CAROLINA.

RAILWAY-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 22, 1909.

Application filed March 29, 1909. Serial No. 486,397.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE R. RANDALL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Earl, in the county of Cleveland and State of NorthCarolina, have invented a new and useful Railway-Switch, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to railway switches and its principal object isto provide an improved form of such switch arranged to do away with thenecessity of a train-mans closing the same after the passage of a trainthereover.

Another object of the invention is to provide a switch of the characterdescribed with a positive lock to retain the same in open positionduring the passage of a train or other rolling stock thereover, into orout of the side track or turn-out.

With the above and other objects in view as will become hereinafterapparent, the in vention consists in genera of a railway switch of whatis known as the point type provided with manually operable means foropening the same, a positive locking device to retain the same in openposition during the passage of a train or the like, into or out of theside-track or turn-out, an automatic means to restore the same to closedposition after the passage of said train.

The invention further consists in certain novel details of constructionand combination of parts, hereinafter fully described, illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, and specifically set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings like characters of reference indicate likeparts in the several views, and z-Figure 1 is a plan view of a switchconstructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a section onthe line AB of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail plan view partlybroken away. Fig. 4 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view similarto Fig. 2, showing the parts in another osition. Fig. 5 is a detailedview of the atch. Fi 6 is a detailed view of one of the bell-crankleversand its connections. Fig. 7 is a detail in plan of the end of the bar16.

The numeral 10 indicates the main line track of a railroad, and thenumeral 11 the turn-out or siding track.

At 12 are indicated a pair of switch points of the ordinaryconstruction, in so far as the points themselves are concerned. Theswitch oints 12 are connected by the usual switch liar 13, and areoperated from a switch stand 14, of any preferred construction. Thisswitch stand can be located upon either side of the track as may bedesired. This switch stand is so arranged as to throw the switch point12 without looking the same in open position, or, in other words, inthat position in which a train will run on or off the sidetrack or turnout.

The locking device comprises a pair of spaced bars 15, between which ismounted a sliding bar 16. The bars 15 are attached to the switch rod 15running to the switch stand 14. These bars 15 may be made in the form ofa solid casting, or in any other way that may be desired. At the innerends of the bars 15 there is provided a pair of apertures 17, and theouter end of the bar 16 is provided with a longitudinal slot 18. Theslot 18 is T shaped, as clearly shown in the drawings, and the head ofthe T is positioned at the outer end of the slot. Passing through theapertures 17 and the slot 18 is a latch, 19, provided with rabbetedportions 20, on each side thereof. Between the rabbets 20 there isformed a reduced central portion 21, and the latch beyond this centralportion is of greater width than the stem of the T-slot 18, but freelymoves up and down in the head of said T-slot. At the lower end of thelatch 19 is formed an aperture 22, to act as a seat for a leaf spring23, securely attached to one of the bars 15.

Upon. the top of the bars 15 is mounted a guide 24. An aperture 25, isformed in the latch 19, and through this aperture passes a cam bar 26,the outer end of which moves in. the guide 24.

A frame 27, is rigidly attached to the rails, as shown in Fig. 1, and isprovided with apertures 28, preferably rectangular in cross sections inthe end members of said frame. \Vithin the frame 27 is held a wedge bar29, provided with reduced ends 30, arranged to pass through theapertures 28. This wedge bar 29, is of such length as tobelongitudinally movable within the frame 27. The wedge bar 29 is providedon the outer face thereof with a T-slot 31, and the cam bar 26, isprovided with a T-head 32, fitting within the T-slot 31. This T-slot isso arranged that as the wedge bar 29 is moved back or forward in theframe 27, the cam bar 26 will be moved transversely of said. frame. Forthis purpose the T-slot is formed at an angle to the line of motion ofthe wedge bar.

It is to be noted that the bar 16 is connected to the switch point 12,and that the parts are so positioned that when the switch is open thehead of the T-slot 18 in the sliding bar 16 will be brought intoalinement with the apertures 17 in the end of the stationary bars.

Both main and side tracks are provided with suitable guard-rails. Theseguard-rails are positioned on each side of the frame 27. Rods, 33, areconnected to the wedge bar 29, and pass through suitable apertures inthe end members of the frame 27, extending thence alongside of therails. These rods are connected to bell-crank levers 34, so arrangedthat one of the bell-crank arms lies on the outside of the rails inconnection with the rod 33, while the other arm of the bellcrank leverlies between the line rails and guard rails. These bell-crank levers arepreferably four in number, but more may be employed if desired, and thearrangement preferred is that two shall be located between each of theguard-rails and its adjacent linerail. Mounted on the inner arm of thesebell-crank levers are presser bars 35, there being one of these barsbetween each of the guard-rails and the adjacent line-rail.

A spring 36, is arranged to normally hold the switch closed, or in otherwords, in the position for the train to continue to run on the mainline. A second spring 37 is preferably mounted on one of the rods 33,and is so arranged as to normally hold the wedge bar 29 in such positionthat the cam bar 26 will be forced outward from the frame 27. The camsurface of the cam bar 26 is so proportioned that when the bar is forcedout as in the position of the wedge bar 29 just described, the latch 19will be lifted so that the lower end thereof will be brought up into thehead of the T slot 18.

The various parts of the device having now been described, the operationwill be clear from the following: As the rolling-stock a proaches theswitch it moves on to t e presser bar and consequently depresses thesame. It is to be noted that it makes no difference whether therolling-stock approaches from the back track or in the oppositedirection from the main line, the presserbar located toward the aproaching rollingstock will be depressed and actuate the mechanism asnow to be described: When this occurs by reason of the peculiardisposition of the bell crank lever, the wedge block 29 will be drawn tosuch a position as to cause the cam bar to move inward. As the cam barmoves inward the latch 19 is allowed to drop and by reason of thepeculiar construction of this part and theT slot in the bar 16, the bars16 and 15 will be held in extended relations. The switch man may thenopen the switch in the usual manner, locking it if so desired, since anymovement of the switch rod 15 will be communicated to the bar 16,

through the bars 15. The switch man or other attendant may then go abouthis other business and the train proceed. As soon as the train moves offof the presser-bar the wedge block will be retracted by means of thespring 37, and the latch and cam bar assume the position shown in Fig.2. As soon as these parts assume this position by reason of the spring36 the switch point will be forced against the main line rails so as toleave the main line clear. This is accomplished by reason of the latch19 assuming such position with relation to theT slot that the bars- 15and- 16 may telescope.

It will be noted that the switch can only be thrown when rolling-stockis actually on one of the presser-bars and that the switch can then belocked in the usual manner.

It is obvious that the same device be used to control the ordinaryrailway signals.

There has thus been provided a simple and efficient device of thecharacter described, for the purpose specified.

It is obvious that many minor changes may be made in the form andp-roportionsof this device without departing from the materialprinciples of the invention. It is not therefore desired to confine theinvention to the exact form herein shown and described, but it is wishedto include all such as properly come Within the scope thereof.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

1. In a railway switch, a main line track, 7

a turn-out track, a pair of switch points, manually operable means toopen the switch, a latch acting on said switch-opening means to hold thesame normally inoperative, a cam acting on said latch, train controlledmeans to release the cam from the latch and permit opening of theswitch, and automatic means to reengage the cam and latch to hold theswitch closed.

2. In a railway switch, a main line track, a turn-out track, a switch,manually operable means to open the switch, a vertically movable latchacting on the switch opening means, a cam bar movable transversely tothe track and engaging the latch, a wedge movable longitudinally of thetrack and acting on the cam bar, train-controlled means for actuatingsaid wedge, and automatic means for returning the wedge to its normalposition.

3. In a railway switch, a main line track, a turn-out track, a pair ofswitch-points, manually operable means to open said switch, a latchoperated by the train, a cam bararranged to engage said latch and permitsaid switch to close, and means controlled by the passage of a train tohold said bar from engagement with said latch, and retain the switch inopen position.

1. In a railway switch, a main line track, a turn-out track, a pair ofswitch-points,

manually operable means to open said switch,

, levers with said Wedge bar, and a spring to a latch adapted to holdsaid switch in open I hold said wedge bar against movement by saidpresser bars and rods, and a second spring to close said switch when thelatch is moved to unlocking position.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

GEORGE R. RANDALL. Vitnesses Z O. F. AUSTELL, T. M. Moss.

osition, a cam bar normally holding said atch in unlocked position, aWedge bar con- 5 nected to said 0am bar, a spring normally holding saidwedge bar in position to force said cam bar against said latch and lacethe same in unlocking position, presser ars held adjacent to said trackand adapted to be deressed upon the passage of a train or the 'ke,bell-crank levers operated by said presser bars, rods connecting saidbell-crank

